MMA News Roundup – Joe Rogan Left Speechless by Jon Jones UFC Return; After Dana White, Shavkat Rakhmonov Calls Out WW Top 5; Sean O’Malley Reveals No Confrontation With Conor McGregor

A documentary showing never-before-seen footage of UFC matchmaking, an undefeated contender sizing up his division, and a friendship… mended? Catch up with the latest scuttlebutt in another edition of the MMA Roundup. We will start with Joe Rogan, who seemed flabbergasted by how Hunter Campbell clinched the Jon Jones vs. Stipe Miočić clash. Then, there’s Shavkat Rakhmonov, who appears to have challenged the top three of the welterweight division in one go, and Sean O’Malley, who has finally spoken up about his troubled relationship with Conor McGregor…

Joe Rogan couldn’t believe how the Jon Jones and Stipe Miočić fight was made

Last year was a rollercoaster ride for the promotion as Dana White and the team had to undergo a war room process to reschedule some matches later in the year. One such fight was the UFC 295 main event. Jon Jones and Stipe Miočić’s intended clash was a huge event that never happened. The build-up for the match was so immense that the MMA community was divided between Jones and Miočić; however, the fight never materialized.

Just two weeks before the event, Jones suffered a pectoral injury, one that he’s been recovering from since. Months after the cancellation, the promotion has shared how the big fight was made. As showcased in the newly-released three-part documentary Fight Inc.: Inside the UFC, Dana White’s successor, Hunter Campbell, finalized the Miočić-Jones fight in a parking lot.

In the snippet, ‘Bones’ asked Campbell to go outside for a conversation: “Do you want to chat outside? Instead of having a formal meeting.” The conclusion of the talk? The clash between Miocic and Jones. Reflecting on the conversation and its outcome, Campbell said, “Biggest fight in heavyweight history just got made in a car and a parking lot. Go figure that one out.”

The event was big when you understand that Joe Rogan was awestruck by Campbell’s ability to make such a huge fight in a parking lot. In a subsequent snippet of the documentary, right before the UFC announced the fight, the Chief Business Officer said to Rogan, “Big announcement in about a minute.” When the UFC color commentator asked what it was, Campbell simply said, “Stipe versus Jones.” And as soon as they confirmed it, Rogan asked how it happened, to which Campbell replied, “Time. A lot of time…”

Jones versus Miočić is a fight Dana White has dubbed “the greatest of all time versus the greatest heavyweight.” While it hasn’t come to fruition yet, the UFC CEO expects it to happen soon. However, since ‘Bones’ pulled out, there’s no doubt Hunter Campbell’s work has been flooded. That said, over at the welterweight division, a contender is trying to make the Chief Business Officer’s life easier.

Shavkat Rakhmonov is eyeing the entire division

When you are the undefeated star, no one will question you when you talk about defeating everyone, and that is what Shavkat Rakhmonov may be feeling. With 18 victories and 0 losses in his MMA career, the Kazakh fighter is one of the most sought-after fighters in the promotion. To give you an interesting stat, Rakhmonov has a 100% finish rate. ‘Nomad’ has won 10 fights by way of submission and 8 by way of knockout.

What does this indicate? An absolute hunger for the championship. Why are we saying this? Well, brace yourself, as ‘Nomad’ seems to have set his eyes on the top brass of the welterweight division. The undefeated fighter recently shared an interesting photo on his Instagram story.

The photo depicted him looking down on Leon Edwards, Colby Covington, and Kamaru Usman with a menacing smile. A challenge to everyone altogether. Will Dana White listen to ‘Nomad’s seeming demands? Time will tell, but for now, let us move forward to Sean O’Malley, who seems to have another opinion about Conor McGregor.

Sean O’Malley confesses his honest feelings about Conor McGregor

Amid the tri-way dilemma between Ryan Garcia, Sean O’Malley, and Conor McGregor, one thing has come to everyone’s attention: to stay relevant, you have to make harsh opinions. While calling out his once-friend Garcia after his controversial victory over Devin Haney, McGregor took a shot at Sean O’Malley as well, owing to accusations of him taking Ostarine in his early fighting days.

The dual-weight champion had tweeted, “Cheated the weight and was juiced, lifetime ban. Sad to see, sad to say. Sad and a bit sick. Don’t come near me if I see you ever Ryan Garcia. I am actually disgusted. The ostarine it reminds me of Sean O’Malley was on that as well.” Following this, O’Malley called out McGregor, stating that despite being one of his biggest fans, he would start hating him because of this.

However, it seems like it was tough for the bantamweight champion to continue hating his idol. In his latest confession with MMAFightingonSBN, O’Malley was asked about his opinion on McGregor. He said, “I jokingly said on my podcast that we talked. We’re good now. I haven’t talked to him since. I’ll forever be a massive Conor fan, like the biggest fan.”

He added, “I’ve watched his career play out. I’ve learned a ton from him. He’s a legend. It is what it is.” McGregor even asserted that he loved O’Malley’s fight in one of his recent escapades. O’Malley now believes McGregor realized his faux pas. “I think he realized what he said was stupid and then just backed himself into a corner. I don’t know why he tried putting me and Ryan Garcia in the same category. It just didn’t make sense.

That said, what’s your take on the entire dilemma? State your thoughts in the comments!